Key holder



Jan. 18, 1955 MARK El'AL KEY HOLDER Filed March a, 1953 INVENTORS. N A K. BEEN/JED MARK."

17' TOEWE K United States PatentO KEY HOLDER Manny Mark and Bernard Mark, New York, N. Y., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Key Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 3, 1953, Serial No. 340,100

3 Claims. (Cl. 70-414) This invention relates to a new and improved article of manufacture for holding and keeping a flat key, preferably an ignition key of an automobile, or the like, where it is essential not to forget to take out said key after having secured or locked the locking means to which the key belongs.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container for a key which has a spring for biasing the key within the container when the key is not otherwise held against retraction.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide in a key holder having a key-ejecting spring, a locking device for maintaining the key in protruding retained position whereby the key will not be ejected by the spring when the lock is operated to turn off the ignition. By so doing, the key in off position will remain in the lock.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a holder for a fiat key or the like having a container closed at both ends and being provided with a slot in the one end thereof to allow the shank of the key to slide through, and being further provided with longitudinal slots oppositely disposed in the walls of the container, resilient means being provided within the container to retract the key into the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide for a mechanism by which the key is held firmly under tension while in outward and operating position such as in those types of locks that permit withdrawal of the key even though in on position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for means of securing the key in its operating position so that it may not snap back inadvertently out of the locking means and back into its container.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide for an attractive, practical, efficient, and reliable instrumentality which comprises a smooth container for a flat key, resilient means to slide said key automatically back into said container when released and not in operation and securing means for keeping said key in a position protruding from said container when in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide for a useful article of manufacture of the class described which can be produced economically and inexpensively.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for an article of manufacture of the class described which comprises a sturdy, simple and easily operable mechanism.

Various further and more specific objects, purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example some embodiments of the device of the invention.

The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts as may be shown and described in connection with the device herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of some preferred embodiments.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but

such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference numbers and characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view, partly in section of a key holder showing the key in a retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, partly in section showing the key holder of Fig. 1 in protruding and secured position;

Fig. 3 is a side view (partly broken away) of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; and FFig. 5 is a bottom view of the key holder shown in Referring now in more detail to the drawings illustrating a typical embodiment by which the invention may be realized, a flat key 16, for example an ignition key of an automobile, is kept slidably in a keyholder comprising a container 12 consisting of plastic material, light metal, die cast metal, stainless steel or the like.

The container 12, open on its upper end and having the hollow space 20, is closed at its upper end by a cap 21 rotatably arranged and kept together with said container 12 by means of a channel-shaped ring 22 or other suitable mechanism. The container 12 is closed at its bottom 14, the latter having a slot 15. Two longitudinal slots 17, 17a are disposed oppositely in the walls of container 12 through which slots the head or handle 11 of the key 16 protrudes above container end 14. A spring 18 is located within the container, its one end resting on end 14 while its upper end supports the key 16 by contacting key head 11. Protruding from said cap 21 into the interior of said container 12 is a slotted member 23 into which the handle or head 11 of the key 16 will fit when the slot 24 and the handle or head of the key 16 are in line, but against the lower end 23a of which the handle or head 11 of said key 16 abuts when said cap 21 together with its protruding member 23 is turned at a right angle to said handle or head of said key 16. There-' fore, if the key 16 is pushed outwardly of said container 12 through slot 15 and if said cap 21 with its protruding slotted member 23 is turned at a right angle to the handle or head 11 of said key 16 as shown in Fig. 2, said key will be kept against the tension of the compressed spring 18 in its outwardly position. Reversing the manipulation by simply turning the container 12 and the cap 21 in the opposite direction will line up said slot 24 and the handle or head of said key 16 again and allow automatically said spring 18 to retract said key 16 back out of the key slot of the locking device to which the key belongs and to retract into said container 12.

The key is inserted in the container by sliding shank 16a of key 16 through one of the slots 17, 17a of the container 12 and into top opening of spring 18. Spring 18 is then compressed by pushing the key out so that shank 16a comes through slot 15 of the container. The key will automatically spring into position with the head 11 of the key protruding from both slots 17, 17a. To remove the key the above procedure is reversed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a key holder for a key 16 having a shank 16a and a head 11, which key holder comprises a container 12 having a closed end 14 provided with a slot 15 adapted to permit the shank 16a to' extend therethrough when the key is positioned in the container, the container having oppositely disposed longitudinal slots: 17, 17a, through which the key head 11 may project and move when the key is inserted in the container, an element 21 rotatably arranged at the other end of the container, this element 21 having a slotted member 23 protruding into said container, resilient means, such as a helical spring 18 normally urging the key within the container, the slot 24 in member 23 being adapted to slidingly accommodate at least the upper portion of the key head when the latter and the slot in member 23 are brought in alignment and the key is retracted by spring 18, member 23 being adapted to maintain the key with its shank 16a in extended condition against the tension of spring 18 when it is turned with its slot out of alignment with the key head.

A ring 35 or a chain (not shown) may be provided for attaching other keys thereto.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respectto a particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What .we claim is:

1. In a holder for a substantially flat key the combination of a container closed on one end and having a slot therein allowing the shank of said key to slide through, longitudinal slots oppositely disposed in the walls of said container, a cap rotatably arranged on the other end of said'container having a slotted member protruding into said container, the slot in said slotted member being wide enough to allow the head of said key to slide thereinto, and resilient means within said container to retract said key into said container automatically, when the slot in said slotted member of said rotatably arranged cap is lined up with the longitudinal slots in the walls of the container by turning the cap.

2. A key holder for a key having a shank and a head, comprising a container having a closed end provided with a slot adapted to permit said shank to extend therethrough when the key is positioned in the container, said container having oppositely disposed longitudinal slots through which said key head may project and move when the key is inserted in said container, an element rotatably arranged at the other end of said container, said element having a slotted member protruding into said container, resilient means normally urging said key within said container, the slot in said member being adapted to slidingly accommodate at least the upper portion of said key head when the latter and the slot in said member are brought in alignment and the key is retracted by said resilient means, said member being adapted to maintain said key with its shank in extended condition against the tension of said resilient means when it is turned'with its slot out of alignment with said key head.

3. A key holder according to claim 2, wherein said resilient means comprises a helical spring seated within said container adjacent said closed end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

